HIRAM'S POV:Over the weekend, I try to call June, but she doesn’t respond. I send Winston to her apartment, and it is empty. She isn’t at Rhea’s either, and it keeps me worried. I know I am wrong, but I can’t help myself. I am stressed. It is still news to me that my father is gone, and I haven’t yet acknowledged it. I need her, but she isn’t responding, so I spend the whole weekend trying to get high to make me forget the pain, but it never works.This morning, I wake up with a terrible headache from all the alcohol I had the previous night. I have class, and I badly don’t want to attend, but June will be there. I need to see her, and I already feel she has something up her sleeves for me. That is typical June. I push myself out of bed, pop a pill, and hit the shower, then I head to school.On getting to class, I spot her sitting in front, scribbling in her notebook. I walk to the lectern and set down my briefcase. Then she glances at me. I examine her for a moment to see if she is
JUNIPERI do not know what happened with Hiram and the disciplinary committee, but after that day, he vanished from school. What puzzled me is the fact that I wasn’t, even once, called in by the panel for what happened, and they passed the information on, stating he sexually assaulted me. I wanted to know why he would put himself up, but he went mute on me. He didn’t send a text, and he never called. It’s been five days now, but it feels like an eternity. My heart aches each time I remember him, and I cannot even tell who is worse between him and Cillian. He didn’t apologize for humiliating me in class, and he hasn’t called to check on me. Nothing.Worse? My nightmares have returned. I have been staying with Rhea for a while, and my routine has been the same—waking up drenched in sweat and crying the entire day because of Hiram.“June, you cannot continue like this.” Rhea’s voice breaks through my thoughts, and I throw the blanket over my head. “We have school on Monday, and you canno
JUNIPER’S POV:“Come, my child,” my mother says, leading me to the couch, then she helps me sit.I stare at her with my heart pounding real fast, and a lot of thoughts swirl across my mind, making me wonder if something has gone wrong at home. I try to shake off the ill feeling and keep a straight mind, but that is all I can think of.“Did anything happen to Milo?” I ask before she speaks, and she shakes her head.My heart calms a bit, knowing my brother is safe.“What I am about to tell you is a family secret that has been kept for years,” she says, and I swallow hard as I feel my heart race further.Oh, I was dying to hear that wolves were real, but then the thoughts of the full story and whether I will stomach it claw at my heart. She inhales sharply once more, then she begins to speak.“Your full name is Juniper Moonmiles.” Her first sentence makes no sense to me, but she doesn’t stop at that. “Moonmiles is a surname that belongs to the natives of the Shadow Pelt Pack, or used to
HIRAM’S POV:Seeing June in my house is like a dream come true. I thought I had lost her, and I was about to text her, letting her know I would be leaving town so she could have her peace. It isn’t the best thing for me, but I know I have to focus on my family too. My dad’s funeral is to be held this week, and I had to be with my family.“Wh… what are you doing here?” I ask, and she turns to face me completely. Her face is as beautiful as ever, and I want to rush up to her. I want to hold her in my arms and kiss her, apologizing for how things went down the last time, but I fear she doesn’t feel the same. Perhaps she is here because she wants to take her things.“I missed you.” My heart skips a beat as soon as the words leave her mouth, and I do not hesitate. I rush up to her, grabbing her and pulling her into a hug.Her arms wrap around me tightly, and I press her into my body, not wanting to let go. I missed her so much, and over the past few days, I felt like I had been floating aw
THIRD PERSON POV:BEGINNING OF FLASHBACK“I want you to fuck me!” June says to Hiram, and a smirk crosses his lips at once.The daring nature of the lady before him makes him feel things he hasn’t felt before. He opens the door at once and pulls her out, lifting her up bridal style as he makes his way to his guest room.He feels his room is too far, and the bulge in his pants can’t wait. He would have had her in his car, but he wants to enjoy the moment.As soon as he reaches the door, he manages to pull it open, then walks in, kicking it closed with the back of his foot. He walks straight to the bed, tossing her onto it and fumbling with his pants. Juniper is drunk, but she is a bit aware of what is going on. It is about to be her first time, and this stranger is hella hot. Hiram pulls down his pants, hurriedly lifting the hem of her dress, attempting to press himself into her.The moment his dick comes in contact with her entrance, she whimpers from the pain, wrapping her hand around
JUNIPER’S POV:“You know what? I do not even care what Cillian has done.” My chest feels heavy as I stare at him.I cannot tell what weighs me down the most—the fact that I gave him all of me and he didn’t deem me worthy of knowing the truth about him, or the constant manipulation. He tampered with my memory for two months, and the ache in my chest feels like it will drown me.“Why?” The word manages to leave my mouth as I stare at him with teary eyes.The moment he questioned the authenticity of my tears flashes through my mind, sending fresh jabs to my chest. My tears begin to flow uncontrollably as I crash onto the couch.Hiram moves to hold me, but I don’t let him.“Please don’t,” I say in a small voice, looking up at his face. “You don’t really love me, do you?”Never in my life did I think I would question his love for me. He made everything seem fine while he was erasing my memories.“I don’t even have a choice,” he answers, and I scoff. “You’re my mate, Juniper, and even if I
JUNIPER’S POV:Leaving Hiram isn’t easy—I never thought it would be, but it is worse than I imagined. Each day I wake up feels like a chore to drag myself out of bed. Sometimes I try to check on him, but then I remember I have him blocked on everything.“Juniper, answer the question.” Miss. Tatiana’s voice cuts through the haze in my head, and I look up to see the entire class staring at me.I have no clue what she asked, and to add to it, I have been declining in school over the past few weeks.“I…”“Get on your feet, young woman!” Miss. Tatiana has been extra cold to me too, ever since Hiram left the school.I get to my feet, then I try to keep my eyes on her.“Please, can you repeat your question, ma’am?” I ask in a low tone, and I watch her face contort in disgust.“What were you up to that my question wasn’t audible enough for you?” I fiddle with the ends of my gown, and she scoffs. “I am not a male lecturer, Juniper, so you do not get to seduce me, emotionally blackmail me and g
HIRAM’S POV:Each day I wake up with the thought that I may have lost June forever. I want to end my life, but I know that will only attract eternal punishment. The moon goddess gives life, and only she has the right to take it.Father’s funeral has taken place, and Hollis is about to be crowned the new alpha king. There’s a lot going on at home — Mum isn’t too strong mentally, and Hope is pregnant, so I have to step up to take on some roles. It is basically Hollis’ former position, which is making sure everything in the pack runs smoothly while Hollis handles the big political matters.Hera has been silent for days, and she won’t speak to anyone. As for Hana, she only speaks to me, and in monosyllables. Coming home to find the funeral of a father wasn’t what I wanted, but Mum wouldn’t listen. The Everbloom Sanctuary will only keep you guessing, and it will heighten anxiety if you have no clue what exactly is wrong at home.My mother and I were in similar situations, but she didn’t ha
Hiram’s POVI shift into my human form the moment Cillian’s lifeless body hits the ground. I am in pain from the bullets that hit me, but I push it aside as my body heals slowly.My heart lurches at the sight of Juniper clutching her belly with her face twisted in pain.“June!” I rush to her side, dropping to my knees. My hands hover over her, unsure of where to touch first. She’s trembling, her breaths shallow and uneven.Her wide, tear-filled eyes meet mine.“Hiram,” she gasps. “The baby... the baby’s coming. He made me take pills. Too many...” Panic grips me, but I shove it down.This isn’t the time to lose contr
JUNIPER’S POV:I’m crammed between two burly men in the backseat of the SUV. The air inside the car reeks of cigarettes and sweat, making it hard to breathe. My heart pounds in my chest as I struggle hard against the man who has his hand covering my mouth, but he doesn’t let up. I bite his palm, causing him to yelp in pain and pull away from me.“You little—!” He grabs my hand, twisting it behind me, and the other man glares at me.“You’re going to regret this. My husband—he’s going to find you. And when he does, you’ll be sorry.” I try to sound confident, but the four of them let out a heart-draining chuckle.The man holding me snorts, his beady eyes narrowing as he glares at me.
HIRAM’S POV:My driver pulls up to the convention center in Boulder City, parking near a tree stripped bare by winter. The air bites a little—just cold enough to remind me it’s December. The streets are quiet except for a couple of locals strolling past. “Hang around, or you can come in with me,” I say to him as I look at the building in front of us.Above the entrance, a banner hangs: BOULDER CITY ART FESTIVAL 2024.I step out of my car, making my way towards the entrance. The moment I step inside, the chill fades, replaced by the hum of life and creativity. The place is packed with people, which makes it warm. There are conversations in the air, and the bright colors catch my attention.There are paintings, sculptures, and displays explodi
JUNIPER’S POV:“Will you at least drop me off at school before you go to your art, whatever?” I ask Hiram as I put on my jacket, staring at myself in the mirror.“Sure,” he says, leaning in to kiss my cheek.“I am so glad we’re in winter, and I get to wear these large jackets. I can slowly feel the baby fat creeping in.” He grabs my hand, pulling me away from the mirror.“That’s enough for today.” He wraps his arms around my waist. “You look more beautiful than ever, and there is no baby fat,” he says, then plants a brief kiss on my lips.I adjust his tie, patting his shoulder briefly.“You look so
HIRAM’S POV:“I have an art exhibition I would love to attend on Monday.” Juniper puts down her phone and glances up at me as I say this. “It’s just in Boulder City.”Her brows crease, and she focuses on her phone without saying a thing.“You won’t make a comment?” I ask, and she glares at me.“Yeah, my husband is going to abandon me for an art exhibition while I go to school pregnant and in pain.” The sarcasm in her tone makes me chuckle slightly, then I walk up to her, sitting on the bed.“It is just one day, and I will be back in the evening or the next morning. It will be as though I didn’t leave. Plus, Rhea is here to take care of you, and&hell
HIRAM’S POV:After dinner, June and I settle in her room while Rhea stays in the guest room. I expect her to follow the usual routine of staying up almost the entire night, keeping me awake too, but before I can tell, she is sleeping peacefully in my arms.I remain like that, watching the rise and fall of her chest with a gentle snore accompanying it. While she sleeps, I try to sleep too. I shut my eyes, patting her hair gently, but even as I close my eyes, I find it difficult to drift off to sleep.After a while, I push her head away gently, then I place it on the pillow, planting a kiss on her head before I stand up. My steps are quiet in order not to wake her. I leave the room, heading for the front door to get some fresh air, but the moment I step out of the hallway, I spot Milo sitting in the living room
Hiram:After minutes of driving, we get to Juniper’s mother’s house. It is a small house in town, which looks comfy. There is a compact car parked in front of it, and June’s mother is standing in front of the house. When we pull up, she rushes toward the car.Before I can open the door, Juniper gets it, rushing toward her mother.“Mum!” she exclaims, throwing her arms around her. Her mother pats her back slightly. Then I get out of the car, and Rhea follows. I grab our joint luggage while Rhea takes her bag.She looks almost the same as June, but her hair is black. They pull away, facing Rhea and me.“You already know Rhea,” June says, and Rhea waves at her.
HIRAM’S POV:“Hiram, the food’s too cold!”“Hiram, the food’s too hot!”“Hiram, it’s too sweet!”“Hiram, it’s too salty!”This has been June’s anthem this past week. I know mood swings are part of the pregnancy package, but I didn’t expect it to be this way. It’s like I can hardly breathe, and nothing is good enough for her. Sometimes I wish I could rip that baby out of her.Right now, she is fast asleep, and it is the best time for me with her. Watching her sleep peacefully like a baby and admiring her beauty, because once that eye opens, I’ll be running around the clock.
Hiram’s POV:Last night, June didn’t spend the night in my room. She came back home with Rhea, and they hung out the entire evening.“You know I’m beginning to think you love Rhea more than you love me,” I say to her as she sits in front of the mirror doing her hair.She looks at me through the mirror with a frown on her face.“Why would you say that?” she asks, and I walk up to her, bending slightly.“Maybe because you spent the entire evening with her, and slept in the guest room too,” I say, and she chuckles slightly.“So, you’re jealous of a woman?” she asks, then tilts her head slightly to face me. “You know what? Maybe I do love her better and we might have…”